Boredom Captured In An Interesting Way (The Good Girl (DVD))

Member Name: basil40

Product:	The Good Girl (DVD)
Date:	01/02/05 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Indie-feel, Compulsive

Disadvantages: Slow start

**Background**
In Jennifer Aniston's 11th film since 1993's Leprechaun debut, we finally see a bit of grit and passion put into a role as a downtrodden, childless housewife in smalltown America.

**Plot**
She plays Justine Last. Known to those close to her - and this number doubles throughout the film – as “Teeny” she works in a discount store on the edge of town, not dissimilar to our Wilkinsons. It sells all manner of cheap household products and some clothing and is portrayed excellently as possibly the most boring place to work. It’s the boredom of her existence and working life that is captured so beautifully and atmospherically in this film. From the deadpan store announcer (the manager, Jack Lynch played by John Carroll Lynch) to the young check out assistant Cheryl fabulously played by Zooey Decshanel, everything about her workplace screams “monotony”!

Then a new cashier starts and eventually falls for Teeny and after a lot of persuasion on his part, an affair commences. This, naturally, poses a problem because:

-she’s married
-her stoner husband is infertile, so pregnancy is a no-no
-she lives in a small town with prying eyes
-her hubbie’s best mate (Bubba) fancies her like mad

and

-this new lover is a schizophrenic, suicidal teenager. Doh!

Suddenly, after the arrival on the scene of her lover, things pick up pace brilliantly and some extraordinary yet believable incidents occur. Without giving too much away, there’s a death, some hilarious sexual blackmale (including full-frontal male nudity, ladies!), a couple of marriage-jeopardising coincidences, a robbery and a failed murder using a bunch of blackberries bought from a roadside trader. Don’t ask…

**The Characters**
There are a pleasing array of characters. Firstly Aniston plays the downtrodden wife and store clerk to a tee. Her mannerisms, ever-so-slight stutter and general below par intelligence make this a real coup for her to play and you can see she stretched herself for this role. Her husband, Phil, and his best friend are both ardent pot smokers but there is more alertness and awareness to Bubba than you would expect of someone participating in such a pastime. Her lover, Holden, played by Jake Gyllenhall is by turns intense and possessive and is, indeed, the archetypal troubled young man. Add to that a sweary cashier, an officious store manager, a religious nut of a security guard who runs the llocal Bible-study class, a greasy-haired motel owner and a couple of TV-addict parents and you have a believable and varied array of characters, all extraordinarily executed and played with credible conviction.

**The Direction**
This is probably the best part of the film and the aspect of the picture that makes it what it is. The silence and bored atmosphere within Teeny's workplace is captured superbly. Teeny's initial doubts about starting the affair are caught and portrayed beautifully. The overall feel is of isolation and desolation - adjectives that can describe the town in which the film is set and also Teeny's life as a whole. Beautifully shot.

**Cast**
Jennifer Aniston.........."Teeny" Last
John C Reilly............... Phil Last
Jake Gyllenhall........... "Holden"
Zooey Deschanel....... Cheryl
Tim Blake Nelson...... Bubba
John Carroll Lynch..... The Store Manager
Mike White................... Corny

**Is It Any Good?**
I think so, yes. It's a film with a strong cast and a lovely "indie" feel to it.

**Overall**
Unlike Punch-Drunk Love and Lost In Translation, this doesn’t try too hard to be clever or “indie”. It’s a simple story of involuntary infidelity in smalltown America and stands alone as a minor classic with Aniston providing the biggest surprise as she moves away from her Rachel-from-Friends typecast hell.

Currently being rotated on Sky Movies, I urge you to catch this if you can.

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